Sunrise on a Cloudy Day
by emrldeyes
Summary: My first Fanfic. Andromeda's life in her years at Hogwarts. Mentionings of Ted/Andromeda, R&R, please!


Here is emeralds' first fanfic. Be nice!

Summary: Andromeda's first through seventh years, and a bit of Ted/Andromeda to boot!

Disclamer: I own nothing except the plot, and Roger Burrows. All else is jks wonderful masterpiece.

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"Ugh, always packed with Muggles and Mudbloods, this place. Keep close girls, you would not want to get too close, now would you?"

"No, Mother," Narcissa and Bellatrix replied. Andromeda stayed silent, her little eleven year old self quivering with both nervousness and excitement. She was going into her first year, with Bella in her third and Narcissa, who would start next year, remorseful at the fact that she was now the only child at their manor.

"Now, to the train, girls," their father said with tight lips. He was looking at the Weasleys, whose son Arthur was starting his fifth year. He didn't want to stay here long, it was obvious.

"Come on Andy, we'll get a compartment together," Bella said primly. Andromeda could already tell Bella would watch her like a hawk in Hogwarts, as she felt responsible for the well being of her younger sister.

As they were getting on the train, a boy with light brown hair stumbled into Andromeda. "Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just clumsy, you know. I mean, I'm so excited, I'm the first magic person in my family…" he tapered off at the look Bella was giving him.

"I don't care, Mudblood!" she screeched. His face fell, and the two brushed passed him. "I-I really am sorry," he called after them, but he was ignored.

Andromeda looked back at him, and felt sorry for him, but Mudblood kept reverberating in her head, and she dismissed him. She always regretted that.

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"Hi, mind if I sit here?" No response. "Good, I'm Ted by the way, Ted Tonks." No response. "Um…who're you?"

"Andromeda…Black. Now move, if you know what's good for you, Tonks."

He just smiled, and started a one-sided conversation. She hated the class already, and it was Defense, which was taught by Professor Turnwell. She swore he had it in for her. And had been hit by one to many cheering charms when he was younger.

She was seething by the time class was over. Partners with Tonks and twenty points taken from Slytherin? She debated searching out Bella to ask her for a good satisfying curse.

Being partners with _Him_ paid off though. She was top of the class that year. Not that it mattered to her parents. They were more overjoyed with the fact that Bella was courting that Lestrange boy who looked like he had a stick up his arse. They were furious that she was fraternizing with one of _them_.

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"'Dromeda! How was your summer?"

"Particularly hateful, now go away Tonks. And don't call me that."

Paying no heed to her, he sat across from her, concern written on his face. "Why?"

"Because it implies that we are friends, which we are not, and that we are attached, which we are not, and that we hang, which we _do not_," she said with clenched teeth. "Now go away. I'm studying."

"Classes haven't even begun yet! How can you study? And I meant why was your summer 'particularly hateful'?"

Sigh. "Because my parents were fawning over Bella for her 'good choice in a man,' and gushing over Cissy for catching the eye of Lucius Malfoy. That is why. Now leave, I am trying to concentrate."

"Avoiding my other question? 'Dromeda, you're hiding something!" he said, mirth written all over his face.

She decided he was a lost cause, and packed her things. He, however, followed her out, almost breathing down her neck. She tried, and failed, to remain calm. "Why are you stalking me Tonks?" Silence. She sighed, and tried to ignore him.

"I was hiding from Rabastan. He has gotten it in his head that incest is the new cool thing to do. Bella and Rodulphus will most probably get married," Andromeda answered glumly, referring to his earlier question.

"Do you actually have any real friends 'Dromeda?" he asked after digesting this.

She chose not to answer, which he took as a no. "I'm sorry."

"I do not need your pity Tonks. Purebloods never have 'friends,' we have 'allies,'" she said grudgingly. "And do not get it in your head that we should be friends, Tonks. I do not want you to get hurt."

And with that she walked away with Ted looking confused.

Much to her fellow Slytherins' amazement, and her own, she did become Tonks' friend. It was hard not to, seeing as their professors were sadists and threw them together in every class Slytherins and Ravenclaws had together. This was her excuse to the Slytherins-and Bella.

She found him interesting. It amazed her how he could get such high marks when he had Quiddich practice almost every night, and slacked off nearly as much. She had to work hard to earn her marks. He was just freakishly smart, as she constantly told him. He told her it was his awesome wit.

"Tonks!" Andromeda called, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"'Dromeda? What is it?"

"That-that essay. For Defense. Need to work on it," she wheezed. This was why she was did not play Quiddich.

"Right. Can we work on it tomorrow? I kinda have plans tonight," he looked apologetic and pleased at the same time.

"Sure. Right. Yeah," she managed to get out. She made a mental note to exercise sometime in the near future.

"Ted!" a girl with curly brown hair and an angelic face called out.

"Hey Clara! Look, 'Dromeda, I have to go," Tonks said as "Clara" latched on to him. Her smile faltered at Andromeda's look of fury, but came back as Tonks smiled down at her. Andromeda's stomach lurched, and her heart felt like it had been ripped from her body. As the couple walked away, a tear slid down Andromeda's cheek.

If looks could kill, Clara would be a fried corpse on the ground.

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What she was feeling was perfectly logical. She didn't want Tonks to be hurt by that sleazy little brown-haired Ravenclaw. Yeah. That was why she wanted to slap her. Curse her. _Rip her limb from limb for even daring to touch Tonks_. There was no way she could like him. Her, like a Muggleborn? It was positively unthinkable.

She had been trying to convince herself all summer that she was just feeling sisterly like to Ted. Watching his back. Even though they hadn't been friends for long. Even though they hardly got to talk to each other. Even though…

"Andromeda? Andromeda, get out of that room at once, and come down stairs. Honestly, soon you will be getting _ideas_." Andromeda could almost see her mother shuddering at the thought. _Too late, mother. It has already happened_.

"Andromeda, what is the matter with you? Your father just asked you a question. Answer him!"

"Sorry, Father," said Andromeda, breaking out of a nice daydream involving Tonks and a deserted corridor. "What was the question again?

"Are you still fraternizing with that Mudblood, Andromeda?" Father sounded angry he had to repeat himself.

She felt her cheeks heat up. "Who, Ted?" she said absently. "Oh, yes, when we have to work together for classes."

"Damned school's losing its touch. Dumbledore's doing, I expect," replied her father. And so the usual tirade began. Andromeda tried to look interested, but her thoughts went to Tonks, and she was lost in another fantasy.

"Andy. We need to talk." That meant she had no choice.

"Yes Bella? What is it?" she asked tiredly, hoping the conversation was not going where she thought it was going.

"What is your relationship with that Tonks boy?"

"Just academic learning acquaintances, nothing more," she answered carefully.

"Good, because you know what I would have to do if it progressed to be anything more than that."

The implied threat sent chills up her spine.

"Te-Tonks! How was your summer?" Andromeda had managed to sneak away from her "friends" and found Ted in a compartment with Gideon and Fabian Prewitt, Marlene McKinnon, and other fourth years she didn't know. They all looked at her in blatant shock. Ted smiled at her before reverting to a look of forlornness, gesturing to an empty seat. She invited herself in.

"Lousy. Clara broke it off two weeks ago. Yours?"

"Same. I was constantly being interrogated by my parents as to-to when I would choose a suitable husband for myself." The lie came easily, even though she hated it. Hated lying to him about something so…trivial. "And I'm sorry about Clara." The snipe.

"Thanks, 'Dromeda," he replied, looking happier. "Hey, um, this is--"

"Fabian and Gideon Prewitt, and such an honor it is to finally meet Miss Andromeda Black. Now, tell me, is it really true that Blacks--"

"Fabian! Shut it! And keep that mind of yours out of the gutter!" Ted semi shouted at him. Andromeda looked amused.

"Yes, it is really true that Blacks commit incest. My dear Auntie Wallburga and Uncle Orion are walking proof of that. Cousins, you know," she said with mock seriousness. This information was met with shocked silence. Then Ted laughed out loud, which was soon followed by everyone else in the compartment, and Andromeda found herself with more friends. It made her heart swell.

Until Bella's threat came back to her, and she hurriedly made an excuse and left before Bella could find her. Or Ted. When she found the compartment again, she remarked on how horrid the long lines for the loo were, and her excuse was believed. She was becoming more like a Slytherin everyday, she thought sadly before looking out the window and wishing she was still with Ted.

The unknown companions of Ted were soon named. Andromeda soon became acquainted with most of them, including the Prewitt Twins, Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance, Dorcas Meadowes, Roger Burrows, and Benjy Fenwick, who was a twitchy sort of person to Andromeda. They hailed from Hufflepuff to Gryffindor, she being the only Slytherin. But she was okay with that. She, as she had told them all earlier, thought that her house mates were a bunch of "Pure-blooded smelly gits who only thought for themselves," which was met with much consent and laughter.

She took to hanging around them in the library or out on the grounds, usually studying for Arithmacy, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration with Ted, who had once again been thrown at her in those classes. Not that she minded. They were a riot, and she was truly happy for the first time in her life.

But, in her house, rumors flew. "There is someone out there who will destroy the Mudbloods and blood traitors once and for all!" "He is all powerful-no one can stop him!" "The time has come for those Prewitts and McKinnons! They will be punished for their traitorous ways."

Bella was looking freakier by the day. Her eyes lit at these hideous rumors Andromeda wished and hoped were not true. Ted and Marlene and Fabian and Gideon…those nice, kind, amazing people. It made her sick to hear it, to agree to it, to even let it fall on her ears.

Bella, who had noticed the company Andromeda talked with, made snide remarks on how they would all perish, and she would be sorry for even daring to look at them. Narcissa gazed at her in that haughty, pureblood way, and agreed with her sister, Lucius at her side.

Andromeda was afraid. Afraid for herself and her new friends, and Ted…she was so afraid for Ted. So afraid that she stopped talking to them, stopped studying with them, barely recognized their existence, trying to convince herself that it was saving them. She hated the fact that she was becoming the one thing she despised the most: a Black.

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"It is good you have come to your senses, Andromeda. Breaking ties with those Mudbloods and blood traitors is the best thing you did this year. Though you should not have had ties to them to begin with."

Silence.

"Andromeda, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes Father, I am," she said without emotion. He eyed her suspiciously, and turned to her Uncle Orion to strike up a conversation about politics that would lead to discussion about the "Dark Lord." She just listened to the conversation dully. Bella was listening enthusiastically to the men, Cissy was talking with mother and Auntie Wallburga, sharing the latest gossip, and Sirius and Regulus were rolling about on the floor. It was a regular family get-together with the family she most hated, and she was, as always, morose.

Andromeda couldn't believe she was late. What impression would she make on the Heads? Not a good one, that's for sure. She barged into the compartment, uttered mumbled apologies, and sat down next to…

"Tonks?" she all but shouted. He glared ahead, not acknowledging her existence. Like she had all last term. If it was possibly possible, she would have kicked herself.

The Head Girl glared at her, and continued with her speech. "As I was saying, before Miss Black interrupted, patrol partners will not be with your respective prefects." Andromeda looked at Rabastan, asked God why _he _was prefect, and smiled in relief. "Instead, you will be partnered with people of other houses to promote house unity." Here she glared at the Slytherins. _Prejudiced much?_ "So, Lestrange, with Hopkirk; Vance, with Holly; Fawcett, with Kip; Black, with Tonks--"

"What?! No, no, you don't understand, I can't be with Tonks--"

"Black, prejudice will get you nowhere."

"But--"

Andromeda was cut off by a scary look from stick-up-my-arse Head Girl, and promptly shut up. Head Girl continued with the assignments, gave out last words of advice, glared one last time at Andromeda, and sauntered from the compartment. Lestrange sidled up to her, opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.

"Shut it, Lestrange, I don't want to hear it. We're going to be siblings, after all," she said heatedly. Tonks left without a backward glance followed by Emmeline, who glared at Andromeda in a way that resembled the Head Girl way too much. Andromeda's heart clenched painfully, and she followed Vance and Tonks out, slamming the door shut on Rabastan's next words.

"Ted! Emmeline! Wait…Wait." But they were gone. She leaned up against a wall, and cried.

Fifth year was turning into a regular living hell. The Professors were more sadistic than usual, assigning so much homework that it was a wonder Andromeda got any time to actually think. And, as always, the Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Defense Professors thought it wise to partner Andromeda and Ted together. Again.

Prefect duties were not very enjoyable either. Ted just stared ahead, never looking at her, never once acknowledging her existence, only talking to rebuke curfew breakers and rule breakers.

Her house mates were particularly welcoming to her, but distant just the same. They would never forget that term where she hung with blood traitors and Mudbloods instead of their own pureblooded awesomeness. But all they could seem to talk about was the Dark Lord who had come from nowhere, who would cleanse the wizarding race and make it pure again. Andromeda grew sick of this talk, and took to hanging around the library, which was where _they_ usually were. But, Andromeda would rather be around _them_ than be around those arrogant pinheads.

They always glared at her, spoke in staged whispers on just what they thought of those "nasty pureblooded Slytherins." She ignored them most times, and sometimes went over to consult with Ted about their latest partner assignment. Hostile glares were shot her way at those times, and her queries were always met with the shortest possible answer he could come up with.

All in all, thought Andromeda, her life sucked greatly.

It was hugely embarrassing, thought Andromeda. There she was, in deserted corridor, crying her eyes out. It just shed evidence on how much she hated her life. Maybe she would feel more justified in her life if she went into religion.

A group of people entered the corridor at the other end. Just what they need to see, she thought wryly, a Black crying. That would make their day. She didn't bother to get up; they could probably see her already. She could feel their presence all around her, but didn't move her face from her hands. She didn't want to know who it was.

"Black? Why are you crying? Had enough of the chocolate-on-your-pillow life?" asked a horribly familiar hostile voice. _Fabian_. Bloody hell, it was _them_.

She looked up to see Fabian, Gideon, Marlene, Emmeline, Dorcas, Roger, Benjy, and Ted looking at her, confusion and hostility written all over their faces. Oh, let them curse me, she thought. I deserve it. To her surprise, and everyone else's, Marlene came over and knelt beside her. Well, she was of the kind, sensitive sort. Ted looked impassive about the whole thing.

"What's the matter, Andromeda?" Marlene asked kindly. Those words made Andromeda crack. She was suddenly spilling all her troubles to Marlene, and the rest of _them_ by default. Bella's engagement, Rabastan's advances, mother and father's encouragement of Rabastan's advances, the Slytherin's stupidity, the Dark Lord, her stupidity, and her sadistic Professors; it all came tumbling out of her mouth like a Niagara Falls. They all looked overwhelmed when she was done, trying to wade through the troubles of an adolescent pureblood.

"How've you been stupid?" Marlene finally asked after a long pause.

"I ignored my friends because I was afraid of what would happen to them, because you're all considered blood traitors and inferiors to the purebloods. Bella said—Bella said…" she shuddered, and refused to say anymore. It was the best apology they would get from someone who had never apologized for anything.

She got up and left. As she turned a corner, she looked back. Everyone, even Ted, who, to her happiness, seriously looked like he accepted her apology.

"…And if I ever see you doing that again, it will be fifty points, you hear me?" the troublemakers left quickly at this and Andromeda turned, eyes wild, hair bushy for the first time. The things these kids get into…

A chuckle from her right. "You find that funny, Tonks?"

"They were only trying to lock Mrs. Norris in a cupboard. Hardly worth taking thirty points away from Gryffindor," he said with a grin.

She turned up her nose and walked ahead of him, radiating mock hurt and agitation, but grinning wildly on the inside. Ever since she had laid bare her thoughts two weeks ago, _they _had accepted her again, to her happiness, and her housemates chagrin. Bella had been positively livid, but Bella could stuff it for all Andromeda cared.

"Well, we can't have them getting _ideas_, now can we?" she asked in a perfect imitation of her mother. He laughed at that, and caught up to her. She sighed. "It's almost Christmas, Ted."

"And that's…bad?"

"The Lestranges and my Auntie and Uncle Black will be coming over. Then, we'll go to a Christmas Ball that some pureblood will be hosting, and I'll have to get into the tightest dress robes I've ever worn, because I'm being introduced to society, and must look 'my best and most anorexic.' I can't deal with this pureblood stuff anymore, Ted."

"I'm sorry. Hey, you should come by my place, or the Prewitts', their place is always exciting."

"And see Fabian and Gideon suck Marlene and Emmeline's faces off? No thanks."

"Yeah, they are getting too much into the PDA department, aren't they?" he mused. "Well, my house is strictly G rated for my little sister, so there will be no 'sucking faces off' there."

She took G rated to be some muggle expression, and laughed. "I like your laugh. It's not forced, like those other Slytherins.'" Her heart raced, and she felt heat rising in her face.

"That's because I have you guys to brainwash me," she replied. She was deathly aware how close they were, how blue his eyes were, how many freckles there were on his nose, how many eyelashes he had on his eyelids, how—

"Tonks," she breathed, stunned. "You just kissed me."

"I'm so--"

"Shut up and kiss me again."

He happily obliged.

Having a secret relationship was somewhat fun and daunting at the same time. The fear of being caught, the adrenaline produced, the rushed kisses in broom cupboards and deserted corridors. Andromeda found herself praising the stick-up-my-arse Head who had partnered them together. No one knew, not even their friends. It was what made it even more entertaining, with the two of them commenting over their cleverness.

No one suspected hat there was a different relationship between the two. The Slytherins still treated her with the same disapproval and acceptance, as she was still a Black, and her sisters still managed to find something else to do in her presence. She was fine with that.

When the Christmas holidays came, she gave an excuse to go to Diagon Alley alone that only a Slytherin could have come up with, and found herself having the time of her life at Ted's house, which was in a place called Marylebone, district of London, as he told her.

Ted's mother was the opposite of her mother, all warm and caring and strict at the same time. It made her envy Ted a little. And his father, who talked endlessly about politics like her father and uncle, was like his wife: strict, but funny and loving at the same time. And Ted's sister Cassandra was a little bundle of life and mischief, and Ted spoiled her like crazy. Cassandra had already told Ted that he had "better marry that Andromeda so's that I cin finally have a sister." He had gone all red in the face, and Andromeda laughed.

They were invaded at two by Fabian and Gideon, who had brought Marlene and Emmeline. The two had stern talkings to by the adults, and brought much fun and teasing into the mix. Fabian broke the news that Molly Weasley, his sister, was pregnant with her first child. Andromeda and Ted gave the soon-to-be-uncles their congratulations. Andromeda didn't want to leave, but it soon came time to say her good-byes to Ted's family. She felt as if she had left a part of her behind.

"Hey Andromeda, looking good."

"Shove off, Lestrange." This ball was an ultimate disaster in Andromeda's opinion. Stupid pinheaded purebloods were being shoved at her left and right. Mother and Father were concerned about this open hostility, because it meant that if she could not find someone one her own, they would have to, and they did not what that. They were also put out that she had become friends with 'those people' again.

Bella was looking glamorous with her fiancée, Narcissa looked revoltingly lovely with Malfoy, and Rabastan kept sidling up to her. She hated that spineless git. All she wanted was for someone who actually cared about her to come to this ball. But she was only a tool for her parents to rise even more in society. Like a piece of silver to be given to the highest bidder. And Rabastan was determined to be that person. She could feel it.

The end of term came too quickly for Andromeda. She was confident that her three months in advance studying had paid off, and that she had passed all her OWLs. She reluctantly said goodbye to Benjy, Roger, Dorcas, Emmeline, Marline, Gideon, and Fabian on the train, kissed Ted goodbye when they were alone, and prepared herself for the worst summer of her existence. Bella was getting married.

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An owl swooped through Andromeda's window, and dropped a letter on her bed. She gave up on her hair, and went to see what it said. It couldn't be from Ted, she had just sent one off to him. It was from the ministry. Her OWL scores.

She shrieked, and rushed down stairs. "I passed all my OWLs! Nine OWLs! Eight Outsandings and one Exceeds Expectations!"

"Andromeda! Stop that infernal yelling! It's your sisters' wedding day! Now go and finish getting ready. And do something with that hair."

She went back to her room, fighting back tears. Of course they wouldn't care. They didn't care when she made prefect. It went to show that they wouldn't care about her education as well. She went back up to see if she could actually fit in that Maid-of-Honor's dress, and to put her hair up in a semi acceptable hair-do.

"Eight Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations? How?" asked Gideon, amazement written over his face. "That's more OWLs than me and Fabian got combined."

"Because 'Dromeda is amazingly smart like that," Ted said, hugging her close to him. Raised eyebrows, but no comments ensued.

"No, it's because I actually have goals for my life, while you two just don't care." This statement was met by glares from the addressed and laughter from everyone else. "So, uncaring twins, when's Molly due?"

"Any day now," they said in unison, smiles adorning their faces, eyes lighting up.

She smiled and leaned back in her seat, looking around at everyone who actually cared about her, and smiled.

"So, what you're saying is, you two are going out? And have been going out since last November?" It was the day after the welcoming feast, a Sunday, and Andromeda and Ted decided to share their relationship with their friends.

"Yes," Andromeda clearly stated.

"You owe me thirty galleons, Fabian," Gideon said to his brother. "When I get thirty galleons, they shall be yours dearest brother," replied Fabian.

"Bets! They were _betting_ on us Ted!" he just looked amused as Marlene demanded money from Emmeline, Dorcas, and, surprisingly, Benjy.

"Ugh! _Men_," she exclaimed, and stormed away to her dormitory, where she leapt onto her bed, and fumed silently.

"Very good work, Miss Black," Professor Slughorn told her. "Passed every one. Should have accepted my request for you to be in the Slug Club, my girl. Now, which subjects will you be continuing?

"Potions, Herbology, Charm, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Yes, yes, the future healer, correct?" he asked loudly, drawing up her schedule.

"Yes, sir. Thank you," she replied, ignoring the stares she received from her housemates. Pureblooded women never had careers; they stayed at home and ran the estate. _Well, stuff that_, she thought, as she waited for Ted to stop arguing with Professor Flitwick about his OWL results. He came out five minutes later with Fabian and Gideon close behind, muttering to himself. "Couldn't persuade Flitwick to change your Ancient Runes grade?" she asked sweetly. He glowered at her, and she laughed, pulling Fabian and Gideon along with her to Herbology.

She found taking five NEWT courses, along with prefect duties, particularly taxing. Ted, who was taking six NEWTs, prefect duties, and Quiddich practice, found it all overwhelming, and would practically snap at anyone who talked above a whisper in the library.

In the middle of September, Fabian and Gideon got a letter from their sister, Molly. The delivery had gone well, she said, she was fine, and Arthur and her had decided to name him William. The new uncles were ecstatic, and proclaimed their happiness that night by setting off a load of dungbombs in the Entrance Hall, which earned them twenty points from Gryffindor, and a weeks worth of detentions. Their group laughed about it, and congratulated them for days.

She would regularly demand he step away from his studies and walk outside to give him a break, and he would reluctantly oblige, because it was her. Anyone else, and he would have yelled at them for even suggesting it.

She sneaked back to Ted's over the Christmas holidays, and had the time of her life again. Eating more sugar cookies than she had in her life, and making a totally awesome gingerbread house with Ted, Fabian, Gideon, Marlene, Emmeline, Benjy, Roger, and Dorcas made her day. Christmas with the Tonks was amazing, as always.

The Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin match was held in early February, and she cheer for Ted as he flew around with his beaters bat. Ravenclaw won marginally, and Slytherin returned to their common room very put out. Only Andromeda was smiling as she remembered ho well Ted and Marlene did in the match. Who cared if Rabastan scored all of the twenty Slytherin goals? Her fellow housemates sent her looks of dismay, and Narcissa flounced by with a very put out Lucius Malfoy in tow.

"'Dromeda! Happy Birthday!" she raised her head from her hands and managed a smile, before putting the letter in her hands on the table in front of her. _Stupid, idiotic parents. Ruining my 17__th__ birthday with _this

"What is it 'Dromeda?" Ted asked, everyone else behind him with various forms of wrapped packages.

"Mum and Dad have betrothed me to that-that _thing_," she answered, waving to the letter on the table morosely.

Various sounds of outrage were heard. Ted looked positively heart-broken. "I won't break it off with you Ted," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "Never, ever. Now, it's my seventeenth, isn't it? Where's the party?"

Laughing, they journeyed to the kitchens, but the new information haunted Ted and Andromeda for the rest of the term.

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"Head Girl? Head Girl? Oh my gosh, I'm Head Girl!" shouted Andromeda. She almost went down to tell her family. Almost. They wouldn't care, would they? Sirius would care. She'd tell him. It would give him hope that he would be able to get away with anything next year. She went and sought him out. He was in his room, staring moodily at the ceiling.

"Hey, you," Andromeda said with a grin. "Excited about Hogwarts?"

He smiled at her, before replying with a "Yeah." She decided to ask about what was bothering him later.

"Well, you'd better be. Guess who got made Head Girl?"

He looked at her with surprise, then put on his adorable "puppy dog face," and slyly asked her whether she would take pity on her poor little cousin. She paused before dashing his hopes on the rocks.

"No."

"Andromeda, I want you to make sure Sirius does not get involved with the _wrong_ crowd."

"Yes, Uncle Orion," she replied, barely suppressing a smile. _If only he knew_. She heard someone call her name and turned around.

"Ted!" she exclaimed, and hugged him. "I missed you over the summer."

"Yeah," he replied, and stiffened, looking behind her. She turned, and saw her whole family glaring daggers at him, except Sirius. He just looked bored. She glanced wildly around, and saw twin tufts of red hair. "Um, Sirius," he looked up, "come on, let's go before your mum gets all weepy." She was anything but, but Sirius jumped on the opportunity to get away from his family. She led him over to the Prewitts, losing sight of her family in the process.

She was determined to corrupt Sirius' mind with the idea that Mudbloods and blood traitors were better than purebloods.

When she saw that Sirius was in Gryffindor, Andromeda was ecstatic. When she heard that he had become friends with James Potter, the epitome of a moderate pureblood (not a blood traitor, but not a sympathizer with 'pureblood views'), she nearly dropped all pretense to go hug her little cousin.

However, conversation between seventh year Slytherins and first year Gyffindors were hard to come by. The only times she found time to talk to Sirius was when she was reprimanding him and his friends for rule-breaking. He always put on his best 'puppy dog face' look during these times, but she never fell for it. Those four were the reason Gryffindor lost the House Cup by twenty points at the end of the year.

One of the highlights of seventh year was the fact that she was Head Girl, and Ted was Head Boy. She found that it was easier to pursue a secret relationship when you held almost all the strings for punishments and curfew rights.

One of the down points was being found out.

It was the annual Christmas ball that the Blacks went to every year. Much conversation about the latest scandals was taken up with relish, as per usual. Rabastan seemed to follow Andromeda around like a loving puppy. A disgusting loving puppy that let his eyes wander tremendously. Pervert. And the stupid dress robes she had been forced into weren't helping matters at all. She asked him to get her a drink, and then disappeared into the crowd.

A conversation about Mudbloods had been struck up, and Andromeda listened reluctantly, not wanting to move into Rabastan's line of vision again. Narcissa suddenly popped up, a wild gleam in her eyes that reminded her of sickeningly of Bella. "But Andromeda knows all about Mudbloods, don't you Andie?"

Andromeda could already see where the line of conversation was going. _They would have been found out eventually_, she thought.

"What do you mean, Cissy?" her mother asked sharply, glaring at Andromeda in the process. "She might be _friends_ with the wrong sort but she would never actually go against our rules." Those rules being never associate openly with Mudbloods unless positively necessary.

"I saw her kissing a Mudblood. That Ted Tonks boy, I think." Narcissa was relishing in knocking her sister down a peg.

"Is this true, Andromeda?" asked father, his voice laced with indignation and anger.

"Well, yes, yes, I suppose it is," she said with spite and boredom lacing her voice.

"What?" exploded her mother. "Do you even care what happens to our reputation? You get involved in a tryst, and we have to pick up the pieces for generations!"

"Care, mother? Care? Why would I care about that? You've never cared about me, about my accomplishments, nothing! You never cared that I was made prefect _and_ Head Girl, you didn't care about my nine OWLs, you've never cared that I've been top of the class for my whole Hogwarts career! All you've ever cared about is my nice engagement to Lestrange, who is a vile, awful little perverted idiot!"

Mother was either going to faint or yell at her with every particle of her being. Father looked too furious to speak. "How-how you dare…how you dare speak to us like that Andromeda," mother said with ferocity.

Bella spoke up then. "I cannot believe you Andromeda. I thought you were better than this! Now you are nothing but a blood traitor. You are not fit to be a Black anymore! Why don't you just leave?" she hissed with finality.

"Yes, yes, think I will leave." And with that, she apparated out of their lives for forever, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.

A violent knocking on the front door brought Cassandra over to it. She opened it, saw who it was, and grinned with delight. "Andie! You came!" she squealed.

"Yes, yes, can I come in out of this storm, now, Cassie?" asked a quite frozen Andromeda. She carried her trunk through the door way, having retrieved it before apparating to Ted's house, and set it down. "Here, I'll go get Mum. Nearly all of Ted's friends are here except Roger, even Gideon and Fabian's sister!"

She hurried into the sitting room, calling "Mum! You'll never guess who's here!" Mrs. Tonks came into the hallway, and immediately told her to "go up the stairs to the guest bedroom across from Ted's room." She gave her a grateful smile, and trudged up the stairs to the aforementioned room. Her pretty dress robes were ruined from the elements outside, but she decided to keep them on.

When she came down to the sitting room, she was met with many surprised hellos and greetings from everyone present. She answered the unasked questions immediately, telling them all that she had left her hideous family because Narcissa had told them all about Ted. She then proceeded to have one of the best Christmases of her young life, and exclaimed over little William Weasley, who was being passed around from person to person.

Ted pulled her into a semi-secluded corner and apologized for her estrangement from her family. She told her it would have happened eventually.

"My family believes in something that I am totally against. That I will forever be against."

It was Andromeda's eighteenth birthday, and her bedside was piled with presents from her friends and Sirius and Uncle Alphard. She ripped them open with gusto, and then hurried out of her dorms to thank them all.

She passed by the Slytherin table, whose occupants pretended that she did not exist, and sat herself down at the Ravenclaw table with Ted, Emmeline, and Marlene. She smiled at them all, thanked them all profusely at their gifts, and dug into breakfast with relish. She noticed Ted looked nervous for some reason, but waved it off as stress.

As she passed him to go to the library, he pressed something in her hand. She waited until she was alone before opening the note. _Meet me at the old oak tree._ Wondering at what other surprises that lay ahead of her, she hurried off to their secluded spot on the grounds.

She found him waiting for her, pacing around in agitation, one hand in his pocket. He turned as he heard her approach, and forced a nervous smile on his face.

"What's this big surprise that you had to give me in secret?" she asked playfully.

"Here. I got you something else. For your birthday, that is." He pulled his hand out of his pocket, and showed her a velvet covered jewelry box. She gave him a questioning look, before taking it and opening it.

It was the prettiest ring she had seen, with a simple golden loop and one diamond embedded in the center with a bluish-green tint he had obviously charmed.

"Oh, Ted! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Thank you." She smiled as she debated which finger to put it on. "Put it on the fourth one on your left hand," he said, smiling at her confused expression. "It's a muggle sign of endearment."

"What kind of endearment?" she whispered.

"Love everlasting," he whispered softly in her ear. "Andromeda Black," he said, "will you marry me?"

Stunned silence filled the air for a moment. Then a screamed "YES!" filled the air. The couple didn't come back to the castle for thirty more minutes.

News of Andromeda Black's engagement to Ted Tonks got around to the Ravenclaws, Gyrffindors, and Hufflepuffs only through the Muggleborns residing in the houses. The Slytherins remained clueless to the whole ordeal. Their friends were enthused about the whole thing, positively shouting their congratulations to the world. Fabian and Gideon teased them about it mercilessly.

Many whispered congratulations followed the couple through the halls as the rest of term flew by. Andromeda was sure she had aced her NEWTs, Ted was almost positive he had aced his, and Fabian and Gideon laughed their worries away.

Molly owled the two brothers in early May. She was pregnant again, she had written ecstatically, and couldn't wait for the two to come home. The twins had shock written over their faces. Uncles, again.

Term came to a close, trunks were packed, and the group of friends said good-bye to Hogwarts for the last time. The train ride home was filled with laughter and games of exploding snap. As the platform came into view, the group reluctantly got their things, promising to write often.

Ted and Andromeda left the train together. His mother and father, and little Cassie, were standing there, waving at both teenagers. She saw Narcissa and Sirius head over to the little Black family circle. She looked at her family defiantly before heading over to Ted's parents. She was accepted there. And as she looked at her friends, her new family, her world, she knew that she would be happy for the rest of her life.

**End**

right, well, not how i really wanted it to turn out, but oh well. Sorry for making Andie all angsty in fifth year.

Review, and you get virtual cookies! Constructive critisism is much loved by emerald.


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